SQUIRRELS! THIS IS NOT A BOOK ABOUT DINOSAURS

A narcissistic dinosaur hijacks an informational text about squirrels, much to the consternation of the squirrel narrator.

Translated from Canadian-style French, the narrative initially follows a familiar path as the braggart dino interrupts the flow of the squirrel’s earnest lesson. Bold cartoon illustrations play up the size difference between the two creatures, with the dinosaur casting a looming shadow or expanding beyond the edges of the page. Early on, the ostensible humor hinges on the squirrel’s efforts to make headway against the heckler (the squirrel even shoots out of a cannon with a megaphone) and the dinosaur’s boorish, self-aggrandizing chatter. The frantic humor overshadows the informational value of the text; readers are unlikely to retain many facts about the backyard critters. Partway through the book, the story takes a surreal turn when a pink-skinned police officer appears and lures the interrupting dino away with a sweet dessert. The dinosaur quickly returns, but not before a talking acorn turns heckler, too. Fed up, the squirrel knocks both nuisances unconscious and buries them partway in the ground—a somewhat violent ending that may turn off some readers.

Though both squirrels and dinosaurs have their fans, this odd couple book misses the balance between factual and funny.